Subtle suggestion
by Arthemis D'aluna
Summary: One-shot at Zev and fem!Cousland companionship. I do not own the character of Dragon age: Origins. Zevran had a funny idea, would he see it through?


Subtle suggestion

It was almost night, and everyone was about to settle down after a hard day of fighting. Morrigan was distracted from her thoughts when a shape moved in her peripheral vision. Zevran approached Lelianna and the beautiful warden leader who were talking near the fire. They both stood up and looked in his direction unsurprised when he got close enough. The three rogues exchanged some words but it wasn't long before they left camp. The witch wasn't curious enough to follow them; her focus was back to her fire.

Alistair was picking some wood for the camp fire. The watch was more bearable if the fire was big and bright but it also required a lot of wood. Not to mention that Sten was not the best companion to talk to during those long hours. The faint sound of metal clinking alerted him. Intrigued he followed the sound to a clearing in the forest about half a mile away from camp.

First he saw Leliana but her attention was to the north-east. He glanced in that direction and just behind a tree he could see their leader ready for a fight. Ever since they met in Ostagar she had avoided her name and presented herself as "Grey Warden" where ever they went. He just couldn't remember who the messenger had announced to be with Duncan when he came back; his bad memory for names had not helped him once more.

What was she doing? Was she training? Again? This late? Just then he saw Zevran almost materialize behind her. So he was going to kill her after all! He was too far to help! But his feet took him forward anyway. Swift as ever she avoided the elf's sword and stopped his dagger with her own. As she retreated three steps, they apparently continued a discussion they had. Alistair was close enough to hear it, but he soon whished he didn't.

"So, you bow to no one then?" the assassin asked with a smile in his voice.

"I bow to the Theirin blood for they have my allegiance." She answered just as sure as if he had asked her the color of the sky. That put a lot of weigh on Alistair's shoulders! He liked the fact that she had been unaware of his lineage but he would have to tell her soon enough… somehow he was even more reluctant to do so now.

"But on that particular matter I had to remind his Majesty that he was already married!" she continued. Wait what did she just say? Alistair was stupefied. How did she ever meet the King? Why? And how come this subject was talked at all? He knew her well enough to guess she had refused the King without a second thought. Anora was the Queen. Cailan knew her… courted her… but she never would've accepted to be second best. This was an established fact in Alistair's mind.

Apparently to Zevran's surprise, she skipped around a tree and attacked him from the other side. Alistair wondered why he didn't notice that tactic right away. But rogues are fast and after the first assault the elf regains the upper hand and made her trip. He lunged at her throat but at the last second she rolled in some nearby bushes. The elf attack was pointless and too predictable. She was moving to one side and then to the other never quite touching Zevran. She used her surrounding as much as she could. This rogue fight was not what Alistair was used to. It was very fast as if none of the opponents where ever touching the ground. Now he could see how fast she could really go and what she meant when she asked him to hit faster. In training, she always pushed him to be a better warrior and had a good notion on how he could improve. But she was aiming a lot higher from herself then anyone else.

Alistair decided to study her movements for the next time they trained. He could point some things she needed to work on, she would appreciate. How strange it was to him the way she moved. She avoided the easy stab that would have made her won this duel easily. He knew many of her moves and how she liked to use them so many times they trained together. That fight was not her usual, as if she was aiming for something else. Suddenly as if she thought that it was enough; she broke the fight with one kick that sent the poor elf to the ground. She would never have done that with him. With his armor he weighted a ton! He saw Leliana come out in the clearing.

"You've witness it!" She said to the bard, turning her back on the elf. "I win. Anything but his pride has been touched as I said I would." and she left without a glance back. As the poor Zevran got up his armor gave away and stayed on the ground; every buckle had been cut. She had proved her point. Zevran needed to be faster! Some training with her would amend that flaw in no time. Alistair knew that she had just bought a new set of armor for Zevran this afternoon. She was probably sneaking it in his tent by now. She was a good leader, a bit too proud and pushing them to the very limit, but a good leader.

Alistair approached Leliana. "Our assassin companion had a complain?" he asked. She laughed for a minute and when she calmed herself, she answered "No, apparently our leader had met Antivans before and he couldn't trap her with his sweet talk. The duel was just for the kiss he boldly requested, since that was the one domain she hasn't experienced."

The End


End file.
